Rue (A Thorin Oakenshield/Hobbit Fanfiction)

37

"Come on!"

The dwarves ran after their leader, skidding across the long stone walkways as they journeyed through the city. Of all of the ways Talia imagined her return home to be, this was not one of them. Finally, the Company rounded the corner just as Smaug unleashed his fire, sending them into an abandoned storage room as quickly as they could. Thorin was the last to enter the room, and for that, Smaug's fire caught his clothes. He dropped into a roll to extinguish it as the dwarves helped pat him down, standing immediately after.

"Let's go."

Thorin led them off, sending them into the dark and twisting passages. Even those who had never been inside the mountain before understood it's complexity, for it was built in networks intended to keep it hidden. After a few more minutes, Thorin came to the edge of a hallway, peering into the open expanse. Talia held her hand up as Thorin shushed the dwarves, but neither of them could see or hear any sign of Smaug.

The silence gave some of the dwarves hope. "We've given him the slip." Dori grinned.

"No." Dwalin refuted, knowing better from his first-hand experiences with the dragon. "He's too cunning for that."

"So where to now?" Bilbo asked, looking to the King and Queen.

"There's few other exits in this place." Talia began as Thorin looked to her for ideas. "But when I was Head of the Guard, I knew of one."

"The western guard room." Thorin surmised. "There may be a way out."

"It's too high. There's no chance that way." Balin shook his head in doubt.

"It's our only chance. We'll have to try." Thorin slowly crept forward, subtly leading them on the long walkway. "Come on."

But just as Talia took her first step, a coin dropped to the floor in front of her and Bilbo. As the sound echoed, Thorin looked back at them, but they were already fixated on the dragon moving above. More gold stuck to his belly fell all around the dwarves, as he looked for them above, unaware of their presence. Thorin indicated for them to move forward, allowing Dwalin to lead his nephews to the guard room in silence.

They continued on, racing towards the guard room once Smaug was out of eyesight and earshot. "Stay close." Thorin whispered. Then, the Company entered the western guard room, eyes widening at the sight before them.

The decaying corpses of their kin lay strewn about, covered in cobwebs and dust. Their faces were contorted into expressions of fear, hopelessness, and death. Their leathery skin clutched to their weapons in fear, knowing it would do them no good as they hid in the shadows to take their last breath.

"That's it, then. There's no way out." Dwalin said, looking around sadly.

"What is this?" Kili asked, looking to his aunt for answers as his brother did the same. The princes had heard the tale of the desolation of Smaug before, but experiencing it firsthand was a different story entirely. Their eyes glistened with the ghost of tears, for they knew that this barely scratched the surface of the pain and suffering from that day.

"A tomb." Talia replied, gazing at the death surrounding her.

"The last of our kin." Balin elaborated, the same sense of mourning overtaking him too. "They must've come here, hoping beyond hope."

A long pause occurred before anyone could speak again. They feared that they too would end up like this, for this route of escape had been their last chance. 

"We could try to reach the mines. We might last a few days."

"No. I will not die like this." Thorin shot down his advisor, scanning all of the faces intensely. "Cowering, clawing for breath." He turned to face the Company, an idea dawning on him. "We make for the forges."